New Delhi: From recee in the Western Ghats, Gujarat’s Ahmedabad and the Hooghly river to rigorous study of bomb-making manuals, controlled explosions and local procurements for explosives, the three Islamic State (IS) suspects had allegedly made elaborate plans to launch terror attacks across the country.
The IS trio of “highly radicalised” engineers from top colleges were allegedly working on the basis of orders and inputs by their Pakistan-based handlers, according to the Delhi Police.
Shahnawaz alias Shafi Uzzama, Mohammed Arshad Warsi and Mohammed Rizwan Ashraf were arrested Monday by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell, after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in September announced a cash reward of Rs 3 lakh for information on the main accused, Shahnawaz.
Others on the NIA list include Talha Liyakat Khan of Pune, Rizwan Abdul Haji Ali and Abdulla Faiyaz Shaikh alias Daiperwala from Delhi.
While Shahnawaz, a native of Jharkhand, did B.Tech in Mining from Sir Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Mohammed Arshad Warsi had completed his B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Aligarh Muslim University. Warsi, a native of Jharkhand as well, is currently pursuing his PhD in ‘Islamic Principles in Management’ from Jamia Millia Islamia.
A maulana (cleric) by profession, Ashraf provides home tuition classes and is a native of Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. He had also completed his B.Tech in Computer Science from a Ghaziabad college and then moved to Prayagraj.
Asharf had allegedly conducted the oath-taking of Shahnawaz and Arshad to swear allegiance to the IS, according to the Delhi Police. Sources said that the three allegedly met in Delhi’s Batla House some years ago and started getting indoctrinated, they said, adding that Shahnawaz got radicalised four-five years ago.
According to the police, Shahnawaz, Warsi and Ashraf extensively read on the internet different types of religious indoctrination.
The group was part of the Pune IS module, and security agencies suspect the suspects are connected to other modules as well.
The group was part of the Pune IS module and was planning to launch terror attacks in northern India. “They had conducted reconnaissance in western and southern India to conduct controlled trial explosions. They are very educated and Shahnawaz was sent PDF documents by their Pak-based handlers on bomb making and how to increase potency of the bombs,” Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) H.S. Dhaliwal said.
According to the police, bomb making manuals, as well as pistols, cartridges, elementary plastics, and pipes have been seized from Shahnawaz’s hideout. He had earlier fled from the custody of Pune Police and started living in Delhi.
“They would procure chemicals and other items for making the IED locally in a bid to avoid cross-border suspicion. After every reece and attempts to make potent bombs and then experiments, they would report back to their handlers,” Dhaliwal said.
The police are now on the lookout for other IS “sympathisers” whom the trio allegedly met and sought assistance from. Shahnawaz had managed to escape from the Pune Police’s custody and later stayed undercover in Delhi.
According to the police, Shahnawaz faces over a dozen cases of which at least seven are of dacoity in Jharkhand. He had also gone to jail in 2019.
“The accused visited Lavasa Mahabaleshwar, Goa, Hubli, Saraswati wildlife area in Karnataka, Udupi, Kerala, Valsad Wildlife Sanctuary, Nallamala Mountain ranges, Chandauli to find suitable hideouts for their stay in Western Ghats and to set up a base there,” Dhaliwal said.
“Shahnawaz also conducted recce of some potential areas like crowded places, mazar/dargah, routes of VIP political leaders in Mumbai, Surat, Vadodara, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad for planting IEDs and target killings. He also analysed the map of west Rajasthan to find out the IED testing point,” the Special Commissioner of Police said.
From December 2022 onwards, on the basis of instructions of their Pakistan-based handlers, Shahnawaz and others began accumulating materials for IED allegedly to carry out blasts in Delhi, the police said.
This report has been updated with additional information
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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